:: Bilateral :: Two Sides - One Story

-Therapy - Bilateral - Two Sides - One Story-
Fleur Kelsey - 2009

This work is grounded in the lived experience of mental illness and its treatment. The work sits in the borderland of mental health treatment, between institutional style treatment and the integrated, consumer led recovery approach which is being to be implemented around New Zealand. This work seeks to bridge the space between institutions of the past, the artist own experiences and the new paradigm for treatment which positions consumers as active agents of their own recovery and wellness.

Opening Night 5th October 2009 @ ROCDA Gallery

Clinicians have always had the power in mental health treatment. Traditionally they are the gatekeepers to madness, being able to label and treat without regard for the wider social context that people find themselves in. Clinicians power to label and describe shape the outcomes, attitudes and qualitative experience of those seeking services.

Opening Night 5th October 2009 @ ROCDA Gallery

This work is concerned with subjectivity; the lived experience of self and circumstances. With the changing dynamic between medical professionals and patients the subjectivity of the individual is moved to the centre. This echoes trends in the world wide mental health consumer movement, where we become the authorities on our own illness and its treatment. The right to articulate and determine our own treatment is seen as essential to recovery, wellness and wholeness.

Therapy Installation (Mixed media on Paper) consists of over 500 pieces

Therapy 2 (mixed media on paper)

Therapy 4 (mixed media on paper)

The paper drawing installation is created from the artists hospital file, detailing the time around her treatment with Electro Convulsive Therapy (ECT), and will be an exploration of retrospective collaborative note writing. This work explores the ideas around objective and subjective experience, authorship of experience, and the client’s right to shape their own treatment experience.

Part of Therapy 1 (Mixed media on paper)

This work uses the artist own history to explore mental health treatments from a lived position, making sense of the experience and offering it up as an exploration of contemporary issues. The work draws on a tradition of feminist investigation into women’s experience and the meanings of experience. Authorship and the authority to reveal what goes on behind closed doors is an important consideration with this body of work, as the artist claims her right to display and modify her history.

A View to Somewhere Else

A View to Somewhere Else 1 -3 (Acrylic on Linen)

A View to Somewhere Else 1 (Acrylic on Linen)

A View to Somewhere Else 2 (Acrylic on Linen)

The complete series of Bilateral is yet to be completed by Fleur Kelsey, Fleur has completed 2/3rds of the work and still has around 6 paintings to complete and numerous installations pieces to produce.

Corridors Of Power

Corridors of Power 1-3 (Acrylic on Linen)

Corridors of Power - 1 (Acrylic on Linen)

The use of architectural space is a central device in the works. This enables the work to explore the tension between interior/private and exterior/public space and lives.

Paintings address the site of treatment, the endless rooms, the physical space; and will echo the institutional spaces of places like Cherry Farm and Seacliff. These will take on a life of their own and will stand in for the body that receives treatment- reflecting the fleshy pink vulnerability of our corporeality. The paintings will vibrate with the tension of what has happened and what is about to happen. Rooms become passageways to unknown terror or sweet compassion, and anticipation and adrenaline inform the mood.

The Walk
The Walk 1 -2 (Acrylic on Linen)

The Walk 1 (Acrylic on Linen)

The acrylic paintings depict the spaces in which mental health treatment occurs. The paintings have luscious surfaces, created by multiple layers of transparent glazes and will echo the internal spaces of the body.

These paintings will be installed in groups creating a cohesive horizon line of odd angles and endless corridors.

The paper drawing installation which utilises Fleurs personal hospital file, in combination with drawing and writing by the artist which responds to that file. The work is comprised of approximately 500 individual paper pieces of A4 or less size arranged together in a manner similar to the example of previous work. This creates an obsessive experience of multiple views, perspectives and information.

Check out the lead up, press releases and promotion material of Bilateral here

Fleur hopes to display the work in full some time early 2010 to express an interest in Bilateral please contact fleur on artshole@xtra.co.nz or directly on +64 03 487 7786

All Images Are Copyright

Bilateral: Two sides, one story

Bilateral: Two Sides – One Story

An art exhibition exploring themes around mental health treatment from an experiential perspective.

Fleur Kelsey :: Bilateral : Two Sides – One Story

MEDIA RELEASE # 2

4 Oct 2009

Event: Art Exhibition

Title: Bilateral: Two Sides – One Story

Date: 5th – 10th October 2009

Time: 10am -5pm

Place: ROCDA Gallery

Opening: Monday 5th October, 6pm.

73 Princes Street

Dunedin

New Zealand

WHO: Fleur Kelsey ( Dunedin )

Fleur Kelsey gives glimpse of what goes on behind closed doors

“Winning Ways to Wellbeing” is the theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week, being held October 5-11, 2009.

To celebrate Mental Health Awareness Week Fleur Kelsey will be displaying some of the work Bilateral: two sides - one story at the ROCDA Galley for the entire week to bring a focus to this positive message.

One in five New Zealanders this year will experience some form of mental illness, so making wellbeing a priority in our lives is important. Wellbeing is a concept that has two main elements: feeling good and functioning well. Research has shown five winning ways that people can support their own wellbeing and that of the people around them: connect, be active, take notice, learn and give.

Fleur is using the week to connect with the viewer by giving them a glimpse of what goes on behind the closed doors of the mental health system, as the artist claims her right to display and modify her history through a series of paintings and installations detailing a very private time in her life.

Fleur is displaying a cluster of paintings that will vibrate with the tension of what has happened and what is about to happen. Rooms become passageways to unknown terror or sweet compassion, and anticipation and adrenaline inform the mood. An installation of paper drawings will be created from the artists hospital files and notes, detailing the time around her treatment with Electro Convulsive Therapy (ECT), and will be an exploration of retrospective collaborative note writing.

Around New Zealand, many other community groups are leading activities and many schoolteachers will be doing the same. All will contribute to national awareness of mental health, and this year’s theme during the week in their own way.

ENDS

Contact Fleur Kelsey (03) 487 7786

More info www.artshole.co.nz

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MEDIA RELEASE # 1
28 Sept 2009
Event: Art Exhibition
Title: Bilateral: Two Sides – One Story
Date: 5th – 10th October 2009
Time: 10am -5pm
Place: ROCDA Gallery
Opening: Monday 5th October, 6pm.
73 Princes Street
Dunedin
New Zealand

WHO: Fleur Kelsey ( Dunedin )

Clinicians have always had the power in mental health treatment. Traditionally they are the gatekeepers to madness, being able to label and treat without regard for the wider social context that people find themselves in. Clinicians power to label and describe shape the outcomes, attitudes and qualitative experience of those seeking services.

Fleur Kelsey has been busy working on a series of artworks called "Bilateral- Two Sides, One Story" This is for an art exhibition exploring themes around mental health treatment from an experiential perspective that Fleur plans to exhibit in full early next year.

This work uses the artists own history to explore mental health treatments from a lived position, making sense of the experience and offering it up as an exploration of contemporary issues. The work draws on a tradition of feminist investigation into women’s experience and the meanings of experience. Authorship and the authority to reveal what goes on behind closed doors is an important consideration with this body of work, as the artist claims her right to display and modify her history.

This exhibition combines clusters of paintings with an installation work.

Fleur Kelsey graduated with a BFA (Painting) from Otago Polytechnic in 2006. She is an emerging artist working with ideas around children, family life, shared experiences and community practices. She currently works across the disciplines to produce paintings, drawings, sculptures and installations.

A preview of the work will be available to view during Mental Health Awareness Week at ROCDA Gallery.

Fleur can be contacted at 03 4877786 or fleur@artshole.co.nz

Fleur Kelsey would like to thank Bipolar Network and Frozen Funds for their assistance and support

ENDS

Bilateral: Two Sides – One Story

Fleur Kelsey is busy working on a series of artworks called "Bilateral- Two Sides, One Story" This is for an art exhibition exploring themes around mental health treatment from an experiential perspective that Fleur plans to exhibit in full early next year , Fleur is having a preview of Bilateral to acknowledge Mental Health Awareness Week which is held on the 2nd week of October every year, if you would like more information or enquire about next years show please contact Fleur on the contact in the press release above or become a "fan" of artshole on facebook to get updates on this and other shows.